Body of missing Philippine gov't minister found

This photo released by the Philippine Air Force shows the Philippine flag draped on the casket of Philippine Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo as it boards a military plane at the airport in Masbate province, central Philippines, on Tuesday. Robredo's body was found and retrieved early Tuesday from the sea off a central province where his small plane had crashed three days earlier, officials said. (AP/Philippine Air Force)

Philippine officials say the body of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo has been found and retrieved from the sea off a central province where his small plane crashed.

Transport Secretary Mar Roxas says Robredo's body was pulled out early Tuesday from the fuselage of the twin-engine Piper Seneca, 55 meters (180 feet) underwater and about 800 meters (yards) off Masbate province.

He says the bodies of the two pilots were jammed near the cockpit.

Robredo was heading to his hometown of Naga City from central Cebu City on Saturday when the plane developed engine trouble and crashed as it attempted an emergency landing at the Masbate airport.

As interior secretary, the 54-year-old Robredo was in charge of the national police and provincial governments.